The article below was published in the daily newspaper Le Berry Républicain, Bourges, France, pages 1 and 10, on October 7, 1954.
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By Marc Bourneyrol
A confession first. When I learned that I would have the opportunity to meet Mr. Louis Bréguet, I had promised myself I would ask the aviation pioneer what he thought about flying saucers. But as soon as I was ushered into the large, austere office, faced with this tall man - who is also a great man - with that intelligent gleam behind his glasses, that dignified figure, and feeling somewhat intimidated by his very kindness… I simply didn't dare. And so, I asked the questions prompted by more earthly current events: Mr. Bréguet's recent trip to the United States.
As is known, the aircraft manufacturer had just been invited there for the inauguration of a gallery of busts of "Aviation Legends." There are currently three - including his own. A well-deserved tribute, though not a common honor from the Americans to a foreigner:
"Ah yes," said Mr. Bréguet distractedly, "they placed me in their gallery of honors... Well! My only real merit is having been one of the very first to take an interest in aviation, and then I dabbled in a bit of everything in the field: civil aviation, military aviation, helicopters. Do you know the helicopter question fascinates me? I have some ideas about that, and I think that by increasing the power of jets fivefold, we could - if not reduce fuel consumption during stationary flight - at least make vertical takeoff easier and more widespread. You can immediately see the advantages of such capability..."
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Continued from the FRONT PAGE
More or less... I find myself thinking about futuristic visions with their urban airbuses, which leads me to think about those darn saucers... But Mr. Bréguet continues speaking, and what he shares is far too interesting to miss. He tells me about his third trip to the United States, his fascinating visits with aircraft manufacturers: Bell, specialists in guided rockets; Curtiss-Wright, who build the Super Constellation engines and are planning to replace the “Sapphire” jets with “turbots”... This time he even went to Canada, flying over Niagara Falls. There too, he was warmly received and noted countless projects underway in commercial aviation. The most significant seems to be an order of 25 “Britannia” aircraft by Bristol to the Canader factories, where B 25 turbines mark a decisive evolution in Bristol's “Proteus” system. I fear I may not be fully grasping these technical considerations - engines, turbojets, jets, rockets, and all those barbaric names. But what I do understand - and what Mr. Bréguet modestly fails to emphasize - is that he was invited and welcomed in both the United States and Canada as an advisor, a respected elder whose opinions are sought.
"The French genius is highly valued in America," he tells me. "And when I see what technicians and company heads are planning in New York to support aviation over the next ten years, I assure you it's disheartening for a Frenchman to compare it with what we have... Maybe we should collaborate with them, share the heavy costs, even for them. Their workers, by the way, are especially trained for mass production. The future of aviation is such that nothing should be spared to save time - and thus money - or vice versa. Because progress is moving at giant strides. At Bell, I watched - wearing dark glasses - rockets emitting terrifying flames. I felt like I was in hell. But with such equipment, they think they might reach 6,000 to 7,000 kilometers. These guided missiles could fight wars on their own. Of course, there's a bit of Jules Verne in these visions - but unbelievable things are being prepared, and fast."
Perhaps some bitterness comes through, but above all, a noble ambition. If only France could move forward in turn! It has the technical means. Mr. Bréguet is providing them.
And we come back... down to Earth.
"Now is the time to focus on comfort in transport aviation, high altitudes, speeds of 7,000–8,000 km/h, and heavy loads. That's the idea behind our 'Super-Bréguet-Deux-Ponts.' You know the 'Bréguet-Deux-Ponts,' which unfortunately couldn't be produced as it should have been. The 'Super' would include all necessary comfort improvements, which are no small thing - just consider that the original 'Deux-Ponts' had 24 kilometers of electrical wiring, a detail that gives you an idea of the rest! It's also not so easy to design beds and toilets practically and within general constraints. Anyway, everything has been ready since November 26, 1952. We could launch production very quickly."
"What would the performance of such an aircraft be?"
"I won't list all the specs. But know this: with 'B 25 turbo' engines, which I'll talk more about shortly, we could reach altitudes of 700 to 10,000 meters. Though we could start with a less ambitious setup."
"So, what's the delay?"
"I sincerely hope we don't wait much longer. It would be costly, but 'France has not a minute to lose' if it wants to regain an enviable position in the global air network. In any case, the aircraft won't be outdated quickly. And what good would it be to cross the Atlantic in under a night? What might become outdated through inaction is our country, left without top-tier international aircraft. Naturally, the costs are high. But, allow me to emphasize, everyone agrees that no one could have built the 'Bréguet-Deux-Ponts' for less. Even with the 'artisan' methods we used to build our twelve aircraft. So?"
And Mr. Bréguet adds: "I remain confident."
As for me, I no longer feel confident. The interview is ending, and the solemn moment has come. Oh well, I take the plunge: "Would it be indiscreet to ask you, sir, what... well... you understand... The press needs something sensational, and I..."
Mr. Bréguet looks at me, his brow furrowed, clearly wondering where I'm going with this... "I'd like to know what you think of flying saucers..."
Mr. Bréguet does not get upset. He smiles gently and replies, weighing his words:
"Ah, the question I expected. And I'll answer: ‘Why not?' And more importantly: ‘Why not beings from another world?' I'll go further, you see. I have no special information on this. I'm currently reading a book titled *‘Flying Saucers Come from Another World'* by Jimmy Guieu (Fleuve Noir Editions). I don't know the author. His book seems like a rigorous and critical compilation of all the serious saucer cases. But ‘if the testimonies are accurate,' I can assure you: these cannot be machines built by men. ‘The saucers, if they are what people describe, are not of earthly origin, and this gentleman is right.'"
I'm a little surprised, so I ask: "But the Americans - or the Russians?"
"Impossible. All the witnesses agree on one thing: the saucers rise silently. And they don't have an aerodynamic shape to overcome air resistance. That's enough for me. I've personally drafted plans for a ‘turbo-sustainer' that would lift off vertically and then tilt to speed off. With a single rotor, I could give it a saucer shape. But what I couldn't eliminate is the noise of the reaction! So these saucers must draw on other sources of energy than ours... Perhaps a ‘force field' created on demand, hence the glow. That's why I repeat: either they don't exist, or the reports are inaccurate - which would surprise me, considering the silence. Or, the saucers come from another world. And the man of science, looking at me gravely, added:
"Do we have the right to deny it? What do we truly know? We are in the infancy of science, a century and a half after Lavoisier. I, an electrical engineer, don't even know what electricity "is". I just avoid fantasy and reason by logic. Saucers "cannot" be of earthly origin, if they are as described. Now, it's up to you to draw your conclusions..."
And I was deeply impressed.
Marc BOURNEYROL
